Black Hawk College board votes to cut jobs

Black Hawk college’s board of trustees voted Thursday night to eliminate seven full-time faculty positions. 

The move didn’t come without a fight. Art students now fear the loss of two instructors will mean less opportunities within the program.

Almost 100 people packed inside the board room to speak out against those cuts. 

Even though the state of Illinois owes the college $8 million in unpaid funding, students and staff argue the art department is not where cuts should be made. 

“It’s a shortsighted fix to save us some money right now,” said visual communication instructor Kyle Petersen. 

Petersen has taught visual communications for three years. After May, he won’t have his job at Black Hawk anymore. The classes he offers will leave with him. 

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I feel like I’ve grown the program substantially, particularly on technology and photography side, which is what they kind of hired me to do,” Petersen said. 

Petersen is one of two full time art teachers whose job was cut Thursday night. The other is Melissa Hebert-Johnson, an art history professor.

“Personally it’s been difficult. I wasn’t prepared for how difficult it would be professionally,” Hebert-Johnson said. 

25 people made their case to the board. They say these cuts will take away classes crucial to students’ success.

“The job I have now as a graphic artist, I could sell as a trade like any other job. It’s just as important. People view it as just art. It’s an actual trade. It’s a needed job,” said visual communications student Ben Newton. 

“My first professor was Kyle, and he pretty much taught me everything I now know about photography, and developed my portfolio to something that now awarded me a $5,000 scholarship to Columbia [College Chicago],” said visual communications student Halie Parkinson. 

After more than an hour of speeches to the board. The cuts were made. The art department will continue at Black Hawk minus two full-time teachers. 

To read a previous story detailing why the college had to make the cuts, click here.